Maravi

Zamtel employs foreigners as its top managers

Zamtel employs foreigners as its top managers
By Chibaula Silwamba
Thu 02 Dec. 2010, 04:00 CAT

ZAMTEL has employed foreigners as its top managers excluding Zambians despite President Rupiah Banda’s calls on investors to give jobs to locals. But Zamtel chief commercial officer Amon Jere yesterday said there were only six foreign ‘bosses’ who were employed through a competitive process based on their expertise.

Sources revealed that Zamtel’s new owners LAP Green Network, an entity owned by the Libyan government, was engaging Ugandans and South Africans to take up jobs which could be done by Zambians.

“The President’s statement that investors must employ Zambians is just lip service; jobs are still going to foreigners. If the President is serious, why is the government giving work permits to foreigners to come and get the jobs for which there are qualified Zambians?” the source at Zamtel asked.

“We are shocked that most of the locals have been replaced by foreigners. The managing director Mukela Muyunda has been replaced by Hans Paulsen from Uganda, the chief technical officer Victor Nalishiwa has replaced by Antoine Muller from South Africa, chief of IT Mark Kalenga replaced by Arony Adamu from Tanzania.”

The sources said expatriates were being awaited to take up the positions of chief finance officers and chief audit officers among other top management positions that are earmarked to be given to foreigners.

The sources said Jere and chief human resources officer Eve Banda were the only Zambians in management positions.

And Jere confirmed that the mentioned officers were foreigners but were engaged through a competitive process, arguing that only 0.6 per cent of Zamtel’s 900 workers would be expatriates.

“We are looking for skills in terms of qualifications and experience. These people have rich expertise. Of course as a multinational, we promote diversity,” he said.

“We looked around for the CEO chief executive officer and CTO Chief technical officer, we even interviewed locally and externally and the successful candidates were given jobs.”

Jere said Zamtel’s 2, 300 workers had all been laid off but others would be re-employed after they re-apply.

Labels: LAP GREEN, PRIVATISATION, RUPIAH BANDA, ZAMTEL

posted by MrK @ 7:42 AM